Endoscopes permit remote viewing of a surgical site while a surgical procedure is being performed. During surgery, blood, tissue or other debris from the surgical site can splatter onto the viewing end of the endoscope, impairing the field of view through the endoscope. The surgical debris obscuring the field view of the endoscope must be removed. Endoscope lenses can be cleaned by providing effective flushing of surgical debris from the distal viewing end of an endoscope.
Endoscope sheaths are used to keep the endoscope insertion body and viewing end of the endoscope clean and often include air tubes, water tubes, or suction tubes to flush away or suction away surgical debris from the viewing end. The irrigation, suction and air tubes on or within the endoscope sheath often add significant girth to the profile of the endoscope. Endoscope sheaths typically are custom fitted to a specific endoscope. Since endoscopes are of different lengths, the sheath is typically required to be a corresponding length.